Ask Lafeber

Question:

October 4, 2021

convert from ZuPreem


I just re-homed a 31 year old Umbrella cockatoo that has been on ZuPreem FruitBlend Flavor for an unknown period of time. I have added Nutri-Berries which he picks out and drops. He tastes each piece he picks up and seems to only eat certain bits of the ZuPreem along with fruit. He is also not eating his vegetables. I am not going to withhold food to do this because he has been mistreated by previous owners. I thank you for your assistance.


Answer:

Hi Dennis,

You are right not to withhold food. A parrot should never be starved into trying new foods. However, we do tend to give our birds too much food to begin with. The trick is to understand what a normal daily amount of food is, and offer only that, with new foods offered in addition to the regular diet. We recently had a great webinar on teaching a bird to try new foods, called The Picky Parrot. I’ll give you that link below. As for the Nutri-Berries, many birds do better learning to eat these if you break up the berries to begin with. Nutri-Berries are nutritionally balanced the same as pellets, but they are not ground up. They offer natural foraging exercise as well as a variety of tastes and textures that pellets cannot offer. They can be fed alone or combined with pellets. And we do make a tropical fruit pellet that is very popular with most species, and has been accepted by many birds who would not eat pellets before. They are naturally flavored with real fruit and contain no added sugar. I’m sure with the information from this webinar, you will have better luck convincing your new bird to try new foods. It’s a matter of getting the bird to try something, and generally they realize it’s food and they actually do like it!

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

Subscribe to our newsletter

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter

×

Join our Lafeber Flock

Enjoy our Pet Birds' weekly newsletter, featuring captivating stories, care tips, and more.
Opt for Small Mammals' monthly edition for delightful facts about rabbits, guinea pigs, and more.
Choose our monthly Backyard Chickens newsletter for insightful information to keep your flock happy.
*